Museum: Jews of the Gold Rush

Creating the Museum of the Jews of the Gold Rush is Victoria Fisch's dream.

Highlights of her latest update:

-- The price has dropped for the Hyman House, the proposed museum site. Three years ago, the price was $1.2 million; last week, $699,000. Victoria has asked her realtor to contact the selling agent and inform the home's owners of the plans for the building and her plans to solicit funds for the purchase.

-- The next step is to formulate a business, including a slide presentation which Victoria could present at synagogues in the Sacramento and San Francisco Bay Areas. Readers with connections to influential individuals who might have an interest in this project, should contact Victoria (see below).

-- Victoria is actively looking for a local Jewish businessman who could help her craft such a business plan. Readers who may be aware of such an individual - who may have the time and interest to partner with her - should inform Victoria.

-- Once she has the business plan and slide presentation, she's hoping to find people who will share her vision and actively participate as donors or board members in forming a non-profit foundation to purchase, renovate, and endow the museum.

Victoria is determined to make known the history of the Jews of the Gold Rush. Unless a venue is created to inform and educate the Jewish community and the general public, this history will be lost. Her passion is to preserve the history of the contributions by Jewish pioneers to this region, the US, and the world for generations of American Jewry.

She is the Northern California editor of the Western States Jewish History Quarterly journal, which is dedicated to chronicling and publishing Jewish participation in the pioneering and development of the American West, Canada, Mexico and the Pacific Rim.

For more information, or to help Victoria establish her dream, contact her.